a chilling revelation from one of the boston bombing suspects, the original plan was a suicide strike on a national holiday. happening right now. live pictures here. the race to save homes and lives from a wildfire. you can see it burning right now. my goodness that is a live look. those flames reaching all the way to the pacific coast highway in california this morning. we will bring you a live report. and new this morning, smarter than the average bear. how did this cub climb into a truck, and guess what? he locked the doors behind him. smart bear. i'm staying in here. i kind of like it in here. good morning. welcome to "early start" i'm zoraida sambolin.

>> and i'm john berman. it is friday, may 3rd. 5:00 a.m. in the east. we have some major developments in the boston marathon terror investigation. a law enforcement source tells cnn that the bombs allegedly detonated by the tsarnaev brothers were built in tamerlan tsarnaev's apartment. also, the boston marathon was not their original target. tamerlan tsarnaev's body finally claimed by his family and we could find out as early this morning the actual cause of his death. his parents are demanding an independent autopsy. our jason carroll is in cambridge, massachusetts. good morning, jason. >> good morning to you. and we are out by the tsarnaev apartment building, and as you say, this, in some ways, is where it all began. this is where the bombs were made. but this -- the boston marathon was not the initial target, and, in fact, a law enforcement source tells us that the initial target was not the boston marathon, but it was going to be on the fourth of july.

a u.s. law enforcement official tells cnn the tsarnaev brothers initially considered a suicide attack during the fourth of july celebration, when boston's charles river esplanade is typically packed with spectators for an open-air concert and fireworks. all of this according to dzhokhar tsarnaev who told investigators they moved up the date to the boston marathon because the bombs were ready sooner than expected. bombs tsarnaev says, built in the very home his older brother tamerlan shared with his wife and child. late thursday, a van believed to be carrying tamerlan's body, transferred it to a funeral home outside boston. all this as investigators continue to focus on his widow, katherine russell. yet it is unclear what, if anything, russell may have known or suspected. russell's attorney says she continues to cooperate with authorities. and authorities also have more questions for dzhokhar tsarnaev's three friends from

the university of massachusetts dartmouth, now facing charges of obstructing justice, and lying to authorities. one of whom led authorities to tsarnaev's laptop, which could provide more clues. and as the investigation continues, so, too, does the recovery for victims. like mark, who lost a leg in the bombing. the other leg shattered. his arms riddled with shrapnel. >> i was scared because it was dark. i thought i was dead. i thought it was over. >> reporter: he says he draws strength every day from a photo of his 5-year-old son. >> stuck me with another needle or they cut me or they did something, when everything change, i look at that picture. that's what got me through it. >> reporter: so again, john, the original plan was to have the bombs explode on the fourth of july. the boston marathon plan ended up happening according investigators just a few days before the marathon actually took place. this information coming to them

during the initial questioning of tsarnaev. john? >> jason, i've actually spent many fourth of julys celebrating in boston on the esplanade. people are really packed in. it could have been even deadlier if it was on the fourth. meanwhile you reported the body of tamerlan tsarnaev was actually claimed. i imagine this is going to be very emotional for people in boston. any sense of where he'll be buried? >> you were up here, john, so you know what the feeling is of many of the people here in boston. they do not want to see the older brother tsarnaev buried here in boston. the tsarnaev family weighing in on the issue basically saying they want another autopsy, an independent autopsy of the body performed first before a decision is made in terms of where the body is buried. but according to what we're hearing from the family, they want the body buried right here in boston. john? >> all right, jason carroll for us. thanks so much. happening right now, california on fire. i know it sounds dramatic. but take a look at these pictures. a fast-moving wildfire forcing

evacuations, threatening some 2,000 homes in southern california. it grew to 8,000 acres overnight and is one of several burning across the state. cnn's stephanie elam is live in campryo, california. what are the conditions there right now. >> well, zoraida, i have to tell you we are standing literally to my west the waves are crashing over the pacific ocean and to my right is the pacific coast highway. i'm going to step out of the shot because i want you to see these minimimages behind us of the fire is cascading down the mountain range and is now heading to the ocean. firefighters like this. neighborhoods around here, though, are nervous. and as far as firefighters, they're concerned that all of these fires may tax their resources. >> came -- >> reporter: high winds, soaring temperatures and dry brush are giving california fire season an early start. wildfires across the state are

churning toward home, keeping hundreds of firefighters busy, and residents on edge. >> stay until i know that my house is still here. >> as long as our family and our dogs are safe we can get through this. >> reporter: fire sprouted up in four southern california counties over the last couple of days. two of the fires were contained quickly. >> we staffed up several weeks ago. we brought on air tankers, hired seasonal firefighters. what it bodes for us is what the rest of the year is going to be look and are we going to wear people out. that's the bigger question. >> reporter: but as firefighters were getting a handle on the summit fire burning about 25 miles west of palm springs a blaze in ventura county began to spread quickly, on 25-mile-per-hour winds. erupting between the 101 freeway and the pacific ocean north of malibu, the so-called spring fire charred about 6500 acres in just five hours. >> now we're getting those hot, long days, winds, and the low humidities, and this stuff is just ripe and ready to burn. >> reporter: it's the number of

active fires, including three burning in northern california, that's making this outbreak unusual. >> we don't see this type of activity usually until august, september. >> reporter: in the wake of the summit fire, one man is dealing with immeasurable loss. his mother, who bought this home in 1973, passed away just one month ago. >> thank god i wasn't in the house when it happened. thank god i was able to get my dog out, and my mom was watching over me. and so are the neighbors that are around. >> reporter: now, as far as that one man goes, he just seemed to be the unlucky one because his house is the only one to burn in the summit fire. it just came at his house like a freight train because of the winds. overall, though, taking a look at that fire, it's 55% contained. the fire where i am, they only think it's about 10% contained at this time. we'll be out here all night. >> that is not good news for those firefighters. cnn's stephanie elam. appreciate it. >> what does today hold? what is the forecast today?

dry, gusting winds are fueling these wildfires. will they continue? jennifer delgado live at the cnn weather center, what's in store for the firefighters? >> we are going to experience another day of potentially worse fire conditions. we are going to expect gusts up to about 45 miles per hour. i want to point out for you for camariollo, 55 degrees. we are going to be looking at single digit relative humidity values. that's critical when you're talking about these winds gusting up to 50 miles per hour, coming down the mountains and getting stronger. the whole area in southern california in pink, they are under that fire warning as we go through about 5:00 tonight. but we really think the winds are going to start to subside as we go in to the afternoon. as we time this for you, friday in the morning they're going to be a bit stronger. look at those gusts at 30 to 25 as we get later into the day, again, they will continue to weaken. you can see for yourself for areas like santa clarita they go from 29 to 19 by 1:00 and then

certainly as that fire warning ends at 5:00 we're starting to see some improvement for later tonight, as well as into the weekend. but today we're expecting a high of 90 degrees. yesterday, had a record of 98. >> oh, my goodness. >> so it was hot in california. >> that's really tough for everybody there. thank you so much, jennifer. we'll continue checking in with you this morning. >> all right. new this morning emergency crews in louisiana working frantically to keep an oil storage tank from blowing up. a second tank nearby has already exploded into flames. this is happening in denim springs about 13 miles east of baton rouge. about 30 homes in the area have been evacuated as a precaution. no word yet on what caused this explosion. >> and new developments in the search for the killer of 8-year-old leila fowler. investigators in cal veres county, california, say a neighbor who reported seeing a man run from fowler's home around the time that she was killed has recanted her story. the little girl was found murdered in her home saturday and investigators have reportedly collected fingerprints and other dna evidence from the crime scene. we're learning more this

morning about a man who opened fire near a ticket counter at houston's bush intercontinental airport. he's been identified as 29-year-old carnal moore. officials say moore fired shots into the air yesterday sending everyone in terminal "b" ducking for cover before a federal agent confronted him. then the agent recordedly shot moore at the same time the suspect was shooting himself in the head. >> there was two shots about six or seven second delay, and two more, and then the final one. bunch of screaming, people running. >> at that point we all just made our way to the back and the elevator down. >> moore left behind a suicide note indicating he was struggling with quote, a monster inside. a disturbing report from the pentagon to congress. it says north korea will eventually have a long-range ballistic missile that can deliver nuclear weapons to the united states. the annual report to lawmakers cites the north's advances in ballistic missile systems as

well as development in nuclear technology. it calls north korea one of the biggest threats to the united states because of its willingness to undertake provocative behavior. the big april jobs report will be released in just over three hours and the numbers could move markets. they often do. economists surveyed predict that 140,000 jobs were added in april. they're forecasting the unemployment rate will hold steady at 7.6%. we will have those numbers for you along with analysis of what they mean for the economy as it breaks at 8:30 a.m. eastern time. 11 minutes past the hour. he walked away with a big repair bill but an incredible story to tell. take a look at what evan nielsen found sitting behind the wheel of his pickup in his own driveway. this is california. it is a bear! instead of running for his life, you know what evan did? he broke out his cell phone to record the whole thing. so what he says is that he felt safe, since the bear somehow got locked inside with the windows rolled up.

>> at one point he had both hands up on the steering wheel, was honking the horn with his snout, and it was pretty amusing for awhile. >> the bear was honking the horn with his snout. >> if he locked it, he could have unlocked it. evan eventually called police, an officeser opened the truck door and the bear raced right back into the woods. >> did you see the steering wheel? i don't think it was evan who did that. >> i think he was a little scared in there. don't you think? like let me out! >> 12 minutes after the hour. coming up. she's a liar. strong words from the pros kux as jodi arias breaks down in court. question is, will the jury convict? a look at the case as it is wrapping up, coming up next. plus bon jovi, christie, a couple of jersey boys team up to help people do the right thing. this is cool. [ female announcer ] new lean cuisine salad additions.

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after four long months, jurors in the jodi arias murder trial are expected to get the case sometime today. first the defense will deliver its closing arguments. one last chance to convince the jury that arias killed her boyfriend travis alexander in self-defense. yesterday, prosecutors had their final say and as cnn's ted rowlands tells us, they pulled no punches. >> absolutely without a shadow of a doubt she's a liar. >> reporter: jodi arias broke down listening to prosecutor juan martinez methodically lay out his closing argument that she is a cold-blooded killer who premeditated the murder of her ex-boyfriend, travis alexander. >> she knew, she absolutely knew, and had already planned it. she knew she was going to kill him. >> reporter: martinez told jurors that in 2008, arias drove from northern california to alexander's home in mesa, arizona, armed with a knife and a stolen gun she took from her grandparents. she used cans of gasoline to

refuel her car, and turned off her cell phone to avoid leaving a trail. >> she knew that she was coming to kill him. >> reporter: family members openly wept as martinez, using graphic photos from the crime scene, detailed how he says arias brutally stabbed alexander almost 30 times, and shot him in the head. at one point, martinez noticed that arias was also crying. >> she may cry now. but the jury instructions have told you that sympathy is not to be considered in this particular case. >> reporter: arias, who originally told police she wasn't there, testified that she killed alexander in self-defense. martinez told jurors not to believe a word she said on the witness stand. >> she's acting the part. and she's lying. she's making it all up. she has lied to everybody. >> reporter: the defense will get its chance for closing when court resumes in the morning. then after 17 weeks of testimony, including 18 days of

jodi arias on the stand, the jury in this televised murder trial, will finally start to deliberate her fate. ted rowlands, cnn, phoenix. 17 minutes after the hour right now. let's bring you up to date. there's some big developments in the boston marathon terror investigation. a law enforcement source telling cnn that the fourth of july was the original target date for the attack. dzhokhar tsarnaev telling investigators the date was moved up to april because the bombs were ready faster than they expected they would be. we've also learned this morning the bombs were built by the tsarnaev brothers, allegedly, in tamerlan tsarnaev's apartment. >> and live pictures of a wildfire burning out of control, this is southern california. the sprinkles fire in ventura county has destroyed 8,000 acres and damaged more than a dozen homes so far. thousands of other homes are threatened now and neighbors and a cal state university campus were evacuated overnight the flames reached the pacific coast highway. a california man accused of raping women he met through the dating website

christianmingle.com will soon find out if there's enough evidence for him to stand trial. once the preliminary hearing for sean patrick banks wraps up today, a judge will make that decision. one of banks' accusers testified yesterday that he attacked her within ten minutes of visiting her home in november. a second woman has also come forward claiming she was raped by banks on a third date in 2009. and a bill signing with a superstar, rocker bon jovi joining new jersey governor chris christie as he signed the overdose protection act into law. that measure encourages people to report drug overdoses without any fear of being arrested. bon jovi's daughter reportedly overdosed on heroin in her new york dorm last year. misdemeanor charges were later dropped because of a similar protection law in new york. >> coming together for a good cause. coming up a bad monthly jobs report for march, and april numbers are due out this morning. so the question is, are companies hiring? we're going to have a preview of what to expect coming up next. [ female announcer ] what makes you walk a little taller?

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140,000 jobs created and that's good enough to bring down unemployment. you need at least 150,000 for that. the jobless rate expected to stay at 7.6%. in march we got 88,000 jobs. that was a shocker. a shocker. because then, until then, the economy had been averaging gains of about 160,000 a month. so there have been some strong areas, professional and business services. they added half a million jobs over the year. health care, leisure, retail showing gains of more than 200,000. this is hiring over the past year. and construction makes this list, too, thanks to an improving housing market. even if today's report doesn't show a lot of hiring the good news is that employers really aren't cutting too many jobs either. we saw that yesterday, jobless claims at a five-year low. people keep saying wait, yesterday's number on jobs was good, today you're concerned about a weak number. companies aren't firing, they're just not really hiring a lot either so we're in this crazy state i think in the jobs market. >> 8:30 a.m.? >> be there or be square. be there and be square.

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a raging inferno racing for the coast. the blistering flames have now jumped the pacific coast highway forcing thousands of people out of their homes. and weapons of mass destruction built in a seedy third floor apartment. new details on the boston bombing plot, including the suspect's original high profile

target. reese witherspoon, unscripted. you have to see this. finally video of her infamous run-in with a traffic cop. the actress in a performance she probably wishes you did not see. >> it is a crazy video. >> that's the understatement of the century right there. welcome back, i'm john berman. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. it is 29 minutes past the hour. we're following major developments this morning in the boston marathon terror investigation. a law enforcement source tells cnn the bombs allegedly detonated by the tsarnaev brothers were built in tamerlan tsarnaev's apartment. and the boston marathon was not their original target, either. the brothers were planning a fourth of july attack. dzhokhar tsarnaev telling investigators the date was moved up because the bombs were ready faster than they expected. also, tamerlan tsarnaev's body finally claimed by his family, and we could find out as early as this morning the actual cause of his death. his parents are demanding now an independent autopsy. and then there's tamerlan tsarnaev's widow katherine

russell, staying with her parents in rhode island. did she know about the attacks ahead of time? a source tells cnn investigators still don't have an answer to that specific question. >> really a lot going on with this investigation. >> she was living in that apartment with him so you wonder what was going on there and how much did she know? and a child also in that environment. >> a lot going on in california right now, as well. massive flames forcing thousands of people to evacuate. a wildfire in southern california has already burned some 8,000 acre, damaged some homes already. cnn's stephanie elam is live in camarillo, california, right now. stephanie, what's it look like where you are right now? >> john, we've been standing out here for a few hours and we've been watching as this area behind me was burning down into the ocean. it's a very beautiful area. it's jumped over, out of land space now at the water but we're watching plumes of orange over us. it's burning inside a ravine that's forced some neighborhoods to evacuate. we're still getting embers

coming towards us here, but one thing that's really interesting is that the last few minutes it has gotten very calm. that's something to keep in mind, that this is the calmest time of day for firefighting. the issues usually spring up later in the afternoon when the winds start changing direction and throwing the flames around. that's what firefighters are going to be looking out for as they're battling these fires. also knowing this helps them battle where the fires are going as they venture into ire yeahs that may be closer to residential homes. all of this is something that we're keeping a watch on. this certain section of the pacific coast highway where we're standing the ocean is right to my left. it is closed right now. it was closed earlier in the day yesterday. it's closed now simply because they just want to let this fire burn down on its own, because there's nowhere else it could go. john, back to you. >> latest right now on evacuation? >> the people that we're evacuating the last couple of hours in this vast area behind us. it's not a super dense area but there are some homes in there, maybe some people with

agricultural related businesses. but they've moved them out as a precaution as the fire is sort of shifting gears over the last few hours. so they just want to be safe. obviously people are very nervous. a lot of local hotels completely booked up as people have been forced to leave their homes and seek shelter. >> all right. stephanie elam in camarillo, california for us. fire is on the move. stephanie, our thanks to you. >> the fire is fueled by dry, hot temperatures and those really gusty winds. we could hear it through her mike there. jennifer delgado is live in the cnn weather center. we do know that they're used to fighting fires under these conditions there. but can you paint a picture for us what they're up against? >> you know, what they're going to be dealing with today, zoraida, as stephanie just said, the winds are fairly calm right now. once we get the afternoon sun coming up, we're going to start to see those winds getting gussier, especially right around 10:00 to 1:00 in the afternoon. we are talking winds up to 45 miles per hour. those are gusts for parts of southern california. relative humidity values are still rather low. where there's a lot of moisture in the midwest.

looking at heavy rainfall coming down, as well as snow. a bit of that wintry mix from areas including fayetteville, arkansas, all the way up towards parts of wisconsin. but we're really concerned about the flooding. in fact, show you some video coming in to us out of fort lauderdale. remember this yesterday. flooding is going to be bad. look at people driving through these flooded streets. . this is certainly a dangerous situation. some parts of florida picked up four inches of rainfall yesterday. in key west they were getting around in boats. as i take you over to our radar you see the rain coming down on the eastern coastline of florida. this is going to be the pattern as we go through the next couple of days. we're talking 10 inches of rainfall in some parts. this is going all the way through monday, and then the midwest, where they're still trying to recover from that flooding that's been happening alone the missouri, as well as the illinois river. we're also talking potentially rainfall as we go through monday and that's why we still have the flood warnings in place, because many of those river levels are in some places moderate to major flooding. send it back over to you guys but we'll continue to follow the fire, the floods, and the snow

throughout the morning. >> you have a lot going on this morning. thank you, jennifer. >> welcome. >> 33 minutes after the hour, the sister of a u.s. citizen who's been sentenced to 15 years in a north korean labor camp is defending her brother. north korea state news agency says kenneth bay is guilty of hostile acts against the regime. his sister kerry chung tells anderson cooper that her brother should not be used as a political pawn. >> we just prayed and asked for leaders of both nations to please, just see him as one man, caught in between, and we just ask that he be allowed to come home. >> chung says her brother owns a travel agency and was in north korea on business. she claims he visited north korea five times without any problems last year before he was arrested all of a sudden in november. and for the first time ever, a woman is on the fbi's most wanted terrorist list. 65-year-old joanne chesimard,

now known as assata shakur was accused of murdering new jersey state trooper in 1973. she escaped from prison in 1979 and has been living under political asylum in cuba since 1984. later this morning on "starting point" a live update from cnn's patrick oppmann in havana. president obama is in mexico city where he will meet with college students before heading off to costa rica. >> economic issues dominated the agenda earlier when the president met with his mexican counterpart enrique pena nieto. brianna keilar has more. >> reporter: after landing in mexico city, president obama met with the new president of mexico enrique pen yeto who took office in december. the two leaders emphasized economic ties between their new countries. they promised cooperation on drug related violence even as

pena nieto has made clear. efforts to overhaul the immigration system are of so much interest here in mexico as well as back home and president obama argued that there's an economic imperative to tackling reform. >> i think it's important for everybody to remember that our shared border is more secure than it's been in years. illegal immigration attempts in the united states are near their lowest level in decades. and legal immigration continues to make both of our countries stronger and more prosperous, and more competitive. and this in part reflects the economic progress and greater opportunities here in mexico. i think this progress should help inform the debate in the united states, and i'm optimistic that we're finally going to get comprehensive immigration reform passed. >> president obama will deliver a speech here this morning and meet with mexican entrepreneurs before heading to san jose, costa rica. there he'll join a summit of heads of state from central american nations as well as the dominican republic. a top concern for those leaders,

american assistance in their fight against drug trafficking and organized crime in a region that has become a narco corridor for drugs heading to the u.s. john and zoraida? >> all right. our thanks to freena for that. >> it's 36 minutes past the hour. a little robot is causing a big buzz among scientists. looks like nothing. harvard university announcing a breakthrough for its tiniest robot. the dime-sized robo bee has successfully completed its first controlled flight. but the robot still has a way to go before it can fly off all on its own. it is still tethered to power and controls. >> there are some limitations to the robo bee? i'm sure harvard will get past the limitations soon. >> pretty bright folks over there working on it. >> up next, new information from the boston bombings exposing a troubling lapse in u.s. security. jake tapper has this story. it's really interesting. you're watching "starting point." we don't let frequent hen

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welcome back. the brsten terror attack revealing cracks in u.s. border protection. there is mounting criticism over the decision to allow tamerlan tsarnaev back into the u.s. after his trip to russia last year. and now there's a new immigration issue. one of dzhokhar tsarnaev's friends should have had his student visa revoked. here's jake tapper. >> reporter: more than a decade after the worst terrorist attack in our nation's history, it seems that the u.s. immigration system that allowed the september 11th hijackers to enter the country legally is still very flawed. some lawmakers question whether tamerlan tsarnaev should have been so easily admitted back into the u.s. after his trip to russia, chechnya, and dagestan last year. after all, in 2011 the russian government warned both the fbi and the cia that they were worried that tamerlan had become an extremist and would be

traveling to meet with underground groups. the fbi investigated and found nothing, but should immigration officials have been told more? right now there's another concern. three friends of alleged bomber dzhokhar tsarnaev have now been arrested for their alleged involvement after the boston marathon attacks. 19-year-old dias kadyrbayev, azamat tazhayakov and robel phillipos all went to school with tsarnaev at dartmouth. two are accused of removing evidence from tsarnaev's dorm room after the attack including ack backpack containing fireworks. taz yakov and kadyrbayev from kazakhstan were staying in the u.s. on student visas. the only issue, taz yakov is no longer a student. he returned in 2012. his status as a student at dartmouth was terminated the next month on january 4th. and at this point his student visa should have been invalidated.

umass dartmouth took the proper steps and provided information into the appropriate system for foreign students, that he was no longer registered there, officials say, but customs and border protection never got the message. when the returned to the united states he was granted entry. the department of homeland security said it's reforming the student visa protection to ensure that customs and border protection is provided with realtime updates. as of january 2012, more than 850,000 foreign students were in the united states enrolled at over 10,000 u.s. schools. t tazhayakov was not a threat. looks like we're seeing more holes in sharing between agencies. john and zoraida? >> thank you, jake. and we're learning more about the pennsylvania woman who reappeared last friday after vanishing 11 years ago.

brenda heist's family is now speaking out. heist admitteds that she walked away from her husband and two kids to live a life of homelessness in florida. last night on piers morgan live her former husband and daughter talked about what it was like to find out that she is still alive. >> small talk because we know him and then just came right to it and said, your -- your ex-wife is alive. and we were both very shocked. >> it makes me really mad. i can't believe she would do that. because she was a good mom. she was when she was there. she was -- she was great. but, i mean, i guess something happened. something snapped in her. >> heist is in protective police custody now. an officer says no charges have been filed because it is not illegal to walk away from your family. lindsay lohan could be in trouble with the law. >> again. >> again. this morning. the troubled actress was supposed to start 90 days in lockdown rehab starting thursday. but apparently the facility she

went to did not meet her standards. she stormed out after just a few hours. lindsay's father michael said, quote, she was not happy with the place. lohan could be arrested for the move. rehab was supposed to be an alternative to a three-month jail term for two misdemeanor convictions and a probation violation. that finding came back -- >> i wonder if she's going to be happy in prison? >> just one of the questions. >> right? 45 minutes past the hour. ahead on "early start," swarming killer bees on the move. threatening people and property. and it may not have been her finest performance. newly released dash cam video of reese witherspoon. i admit i've watched this several times. this from the night that she and her husband were arrested. it's something, that's for sure. ♪ the middle of this special moment and i need to run off to the bathroom. ♪ i'm fed up with always having to put my bladder's needs ahead of my daughter. ♪

so today, i'm finally talking to my doctor about overactive bladder symptoms. [ female announcer ] know that gotta go feeling? ask your doctor about prescription toviaz. one toviaz pill a day significantly reduces sudden urges and accidents, for 24 hours. if you have certain stomach problems or glaucoma, or can not empty your bladder, you should not take toviaz. get emergency medical help right away if your face, lips, throat or tongue swells. toviaz can cause blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness and decreased sweating. do not drive, operate machinery or do unsafe tasks until you know how toviaz affects you. the most common side effects are dry mouth and constipation. talk to your doctor about toviaz. we got this, right? dry cleaning done. gift for your aunt... done. today, we're gonna be talking about your body after baby. yep. we're done. okay. let's get some lunch. yes! [ laughs ] all right!

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welcome back to "early start." 48 minutes past the hour. it is man versus mother nature

in southern california. firefighters battling a wildfire that's already consumed 8,000 acres in ventura county. and right now it's just 10% contained. residents, or hundreds of residents have been forced to evacuate and more than a dozen homes have been damaged and thousands of others are threatened this morning. i thought we reported early that there have been thousands of evacuations as well. >> tough scene in california. heavy metal fans around the world, music fans, mourning the death of slayer guitarist jeff hanneman. he died thursday of liver failure in southern california. he had been recovering from a flesh-eating virus that was caused by a spider bite. rhode island becoming the tenth state in the nation giving same-sex couples the right to marry. governor lincoln chafee signed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage thursday after the state legislature approved the measure. celebrating there. rhode island joins connecticut, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, new hampshire, new york, vermont, washington state, and the district of

columbia. >> all of new england, interestingly enough. so swarming killer bees leaving three people hospitalized in a neighborhood in tucson, arizona. this is tough. even the bee keeper who was called in to get rid of the pests realized he was no match. these bees are really angry. >> at some point he even realized that he was not able to do that on his own, and then we went in to a folding operation. >> so a more calm swarm of bees also invaded a schoolyard in oregon. the principal kept students inside the building while an 578 tour beekeeper cut down and removed a branch with 5,000 bees. >> oh, my goodness. >> i'm a little allergic. they gather to protect their queen. >> you're a little allergic? >> i am. >> what's a little allergic? either you are or you aren't. >> i had to go to the hospital once. >> that's major allergic. 50 minutes past the hour. anthony bourdain's next stop involves smoking cuban cigars in an ice shelf. >> tough work. and he eats a surprising

delicacy for the very first time. here is a sneak preview on this sunday's "parts unknown." >> we're in a wooden shack over three feet of ice, over three feet of water >> you are hopeless romantics, gentlemen. >> oh. jesus look at that. oh, it is perched atop an ethereal suspension of inspired potato puree. of course -- >> this is from the reynaud vineyard. >> nice. >> that is wonderful. >> it really is. is there a billionaire or anyone on earth eating better than us? >> no. >> no. look at that. cheese. there must be cheese. in this case a voluptuously reeking. some outdoorsmen might call

overripe but not us. this is awesome. >> what do you have here? >> a few cubans. >> wait a minute. you guys have a much more relaxed attitude towards the importation of cuban cigars. chartreuse, of course, and a dessert, the dinosaur monster long believed extinct. who does this? >> no one. >> it's one of those like painful nostalgic things. >> layers of almond, and hazel nut meringue chopped with butter cream. look at that. >> hmm. >> that's good! >> for these guys, this is normal. this is lunch. >> i hate you anthony bourdain. >> just the thought, he was s&l vating. i think a saw a little drool coming out the side of your mouth. >> i'm starving. it's 5:00 in the morning. >> that's in the middle of nowhere. >> that looks awesome. and you can watch the entire

episode this sunday at 9:00 p.m. eastern on cnn. >> and still ahead, reese's regrets. new video of reese witherspoon's arrest from the police car dash cam. if you haven't seen this folks, you're going to want to stick around. we'll be right back. uh-huh. honey, i got this. we got this, right? dry cleaning done. gift for your aunt... done. today, we're gonna be talking about your body after baby. yep. we're done. okay. let's get some lunch. yes! [ laughs ] all right!

yes, honey. all natural -- everything. done. oh! i forgot the check. [ camera clicks ] done. [ female announcer ] on your phone, online, on the go. wells fargo makes it easy to get banking done. the next day, we sprayed febreze air effects and asked real people what they thought. i can't believe i don't smell any of this. febreze did a really great job. impressive. febreze air effects eliminates tough odors for good. febreze, breathe happy.

welcome back to "early start" everyone. trending this morning, brand-new video of reese witherspoon's arrest last month. tmz posting the police dash cam video that shows a lot. the actress confronting an officer who just arrested her husband for dui. you got to look at this.

>> i'm an american citizen. >> i told you to get in that car and stay in there, didn't i? >> this is beyond. this is beyond. >> you fight with me, i promise you -- >> this is harassing me. you're harassing me as an american citizen. i have done nothing against the law. >> reese, can you please -- >> yes, you have. you didn't obey my -- >> i have to obey your orders? >> yes, you do. >> i do not. >> reese. reese. >> i've done absolutely nothing. >> relax. >> i'm now being arrested and handcuffed? >> yes. >> do you know my name, sir? >> don't need to know. >> you don't need to know my name? >> not quite yet. >> oh, really? okay. you're about to find out who i am. >> and find out, we did. >> totally not how she acted in sweet home alabama. >> no, it's not. >> will the real reese witherspoon please come forward? she admits that having one drink too many that night. she said she panicked and said crazy things to the officer. like, telling him that she was

pregnant. so she has cleared the record. she said she is not pregnant. she has apologized. she called the police officers, and said that she was very sorry, and police officers in my own family and you know, i would never behave that way. >> her husband kind of sells her out, too. like i'm sorry, i'm not involved with this. i had nothing to do with that. >> she's watching this, too, so you can take a little heat for that. "early start" continues right now. a chilling revelation from one of the boston bombing suspects, the original plan possibly a suicide strike on a national holiday. the race to save homes and save lives from a massive wildfire. big flames burning through thousands of acres this morning. and now this morning. smarter than the average bear. a bear climbs into a truck, locks the door behind him. the best part, it is all caught

on camera. it's an hilarious story. welcome to "early start" i'm john berman. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. it's friday, may 3rd. we're going to begin this morning with major developments in the boston marathon terror investigation. a law enforcement source tells cnn that the bombs allegedly detonated by the tsarnaev brothers were built in tamerlan tsarnaev's apartment. and the boston marathon was not their original target. also, tamerlan tsarnaev's body finally claimed by his family. his parents now are demanding an independent autopsy, and we have learned there is controversy about where to bury the body. let's get the very latest from jason carroll in cambridge, massachusetts this morning. good morning to you, jason. what can you tell us? >> good morning to you, zoraida. i am outside the tsarnaev apartment building, where this plan was hatched. and what we're learning is not just insightful, it's also very frightening. because the original plan was not to have the bombs detonate on patriots day here in massachusetts, the original plan

was set for independence day. a u.s. law enforcement official tells cnn the tsarnaev brothers initially considered a suicide attack during the fourth of july celebration, when boston's charles river esplanade is typically packed with spectators for an open-air concert and fireworks. all of this according to dzhokhar tsarnaev who told investigators they moved up the date to the boston marathon because the bombs were ready sooner than expected. bombs tsarnaev says, built in the very home his older brother tamerlan shared with his wife and child. late thursday, a van believed to be carrying tamerlan's body, transferred it to a funeral home outside boston. all this as investigators continue to focus on his widow, katherine russell. yet it is unclear what, if anything, russell may have known or suspected. russell's attorney says she continues to cooperate with authorities. and authorities also have more

questions for dzhokhar tsarnaev's three friends from the university of massachusetts dartmouth, now facing charges of obstructing justice, and lying to authorities. one of whom led authorities to tsarnaev's laptop, which could provide more clues. and as the investigation continues, so, too, does the recovery for victims. like mark, who lost a leg in the bombing. the other leg shattered. his arms riddled with shrapnel. >> i was scared because it was dark. i thought i was dead. i thought it was over. >> reporter: he says he draws strength every day from a photo of his 5-year-old son. >> stuck me with another needle or they cut me or they did something, when everything change, i look at that picture. that's what got me through it. >> jason carroll, cnn, boston. so once again, zoraida, since the bombs were ready early, the plan was changed, it was moved up, and what we're hearing is according to this law enforcement source that change

was made just two days before the boston marathon. once again a last-minute decision but still a deadly decision. >> incredible details. the more we find out the crazier it is. do we have any idea now that tamerlan tsarnaev's body has been released to his family when he will be buried and where, i guess is a big question, as well. >> a lot of people here in the city of boston are wondering where he will be buried. as you can imagine there's a lot of people here in the city who do not want tsarnaev buried here. his family spokeswoman weighing in on this yesterday. very late last night, basically saying the family wants another independent autopsy performed before they make any sort of decision, but the decision to have him buried in russia seems to have already been made according to what we're hearing from a spokesperson, they do not want him buried in russia. the tsarnaev family apparently wants him buried right here in boston. >> hmm. that's highly controversial. jason carroll live in cambridge, thank you. big news in california, as

well. happening right now a massive wildfire threatening homes and this fire is still growing. the ventura county fire in southern california has now burned some 8,000 acres the flames spreading from the mountains all the way to the pacific coast highway. several communities had to evacuate. cnn's stephanie elam is live on the fire line in ventura county, california, for us right now. stephanie, what are the conditions like? >> right now, john, things have calmed down a bit. over the past couple of hours we watched the hillside behind me actually just engulf in flames and then burn down, jump over the pacific coast highway, and run into the ocean, the pacific ocean here. running out of real estate. that's one good thing. but when you have seven fires burning throughout the state, there's a lot of resources all over the map. >> reporter: high winds, soaring temperatures and dry brush are giving california fire season an early start. wildfires across the state are churning toward home, keeping

hundreds of firefighters busy, and residents on edge. >> stay until i know that my house is still here. >> as long as our family and our dogs are safe we can get through this. >> reporter: fire sprouted up in four southern california counties over the last couple of days. two of the fires were contained quickly. >> we staffed up several weeks ago. we brought on air tankers, hired seasonal firefighters. what it bodes for us is what the rest of the year is going to be like and are we going to wear people out. that's the bigger question. >> reporter: but as firefighters were getting a handle on the summit fire burning about 25 miles west of palm springs a blaze in ventura county began to spread quickly, on 25-mile-per-hour winds. erupting between the 101 freeway and the pacific ocean north of malibu, the so-called spring fire charred about 6500 acres in just five hours. >> now we're getting those hot, long days, winds, and the low humidities, and this stuff is just ripe and ready to burn. >> reporter: it's the number of active fires, including three burning in northern california,

that's making this outbreak unusual. >> we don't see this type of activity usually until august, september. >> reporter: in the wake of the summit fire, one man is dealing with immeasurable loss. his mother, who bought this home in 1973, passed away just one month ago. >> thank god i wasn't in the house when it happened. thank god i was able to get my dog out, and my mom was watching over me. and so are the neighbors that are around. >> unfortunate for that one man since his was the only home to burn in that summit fire. that fire is about 65% contained. it did burn about 3,000 acres in total. good news on that front, here in ventura county they say that the containment is only 10% and as the hours wear on and the wind kicks up, that's when firefighters will be looking to get back in there and keep this fight on. >> stephanie, give us a tense of the terrain. what are the firefighters up against there? >> it is really rough terrain, john. because they've got to climb in

to these ravines. they've got to climb up into these canyons and it's rocky. there's a lot of bush. it's very dry. and because of the winds yesterday, they weren't able to use their planes to drop those tire retardants and water. they had to just use helicopters. that also made it very difficult. these fires in southern california make it very difficult for these firefighters to get in there and stop them with shovels and picks and that's what they're doing. >> tough, tough conditions. stephanie elam, thanks so much. appreciate it. >> six minutes past the hour. dry heat and dusty winds are fueling those really fast-moving fires. let's bring in meteorologist jennifer delgado. when will the conditions today cooperate? or is this going to get worse? >> we are going to go through a period later on this morning as well as this afternoon where wind conditions will get worse but then by 5:00 all these warnings will be expired. want to pint out the winds are calm. that's what we're seeing across southern california. as we get into the day the winds will be gusting up to about 45 miles per hour. especially in the mountains when it comes down the valleys, of course, it even speeds up.

as we track it through the hour for you, friday, 10:00 a.m., look at those gusts, 29 as well as 31 for santa clarita. with those winds gusting potentially up to 45 that's going to make it very difficult for the firefighting effort. by about 1:00 we start to see those winds subsiding and then 5:00, even, those red flag warnings are expected to expire. now, today we're expecting high temperatures, once again, right near the 90 degree mark. yesterday a record high of 98 degrees. but it's not just the heat. we've also been following the snow. and the snow is still coming down. in fact we have some video for you coming out of kansas city. and you're looking at the orioles. they thought they were going to play a game. but with the snow coming down they had to do a little sliding around. >> a little fun then. >> bring out the kid in them. we'll talk more about the snow and heavy rainfall across the southeast shortly. >> awesome until one of them ends up on the d.l. oh, i'm glad they're having fun. >> i think the baseball -- >> thank you.

seven minutes past the hour. emergency crews in louisiana working frontically to keep a second oil storage tank from exploding. a second tank nearby has already exploded into flames. this is happening in denim springs about 13 miles east of baton rouge. some 30 homes in the area have been evacuated as a precaution. we don't have any word yet on what actually caused that explosion. >> and new developments in the search for the killer of 8-year-old leila fowler. investigators in calaveras county, california, say a neighbor who reported seeing a man run from fowler's home around the time that she was killed, that witness has recanted her story. the little girl was found murdered in her home saturday and investigators have reportedly collected fingerprints and other dna evidence from the crime scene. eight minutes past the hour. we're learning more this morning about a man who opened fire near a ticket counter at houston's bush intercontinental airport. he's been identified as 29-year-old carnell moore. officials say moore fired shots into the air yesterday sending everyone in terminal "b" ducking for cover before a federal agent

confronted him. then the agent reportedly shot moore at the same time the suspect was shooting himself in the head. >> there was two shots about six or seven second delay, and two more, and then the final one. bunch of screaming, people running. >> he told us we should get down. at that point we all just made our way to the back and the elevator down. >> moore left behind a suicide note indicating he was struggling with quote, a monster inside. a pentagon report to congress says that north korea will eventually have a long-range ballistic missile that can deliver nuclear weapons to the united states. the annual report to lawmakers cites the north's advances in ballistic missile systems as well as development in nuclear technology. it calls north korea one of the biggest threats to the united states because of its willingness to undertake provocative behavior. >> so that all-important april jobs report will be released in just over two hours from now. and the numbers could move the markets this morning.

economists surveyed by cnn money predict 140,000 jobs were added in april, and they are forecasting the unemployment rate will hold steady at 7.6%. the labor department releases the report at 8:30 eastern and our christine romans, you know she's going to break down what the numbers mean for you, for the economy. she's watching this very closely for us this morning. >> it's big and it's breaking at 8:30 a.m. meanwhile to keep you entertained take a look at what evan nielsen found sitting behind the wheel of his pickup truck. >> oh, my goodness. his truck in his driveway in california. that is a real life very real bear. somehow the bear got inside the locked door, locked the door behind him, and instead of running for his life, evan broke out his cell phone. >> look at the steering wheel. >> he crashed the inside of that. listen. >> at one point he had both hands up on the steering wheel, was honking the horn with his snout, and it was pretty amusing for awhile.

>> evan eventually called police. an officer opened the truck door. the bear raced back into the woods. evan now has kind of a big repair bill. you see the inside of that truck? the teeth marks on the steering wheel. >> i would have been running in the other direction to call police and there he was with his family just taking video. >> i love the fact that the bear locked the doors. >> he could also unlock the doors, fyi. you never know. coming up, she's a liar. strong words from the prosecution as jodi areas breaks down in court. will the jury convict? a look at the case as it is wrapping up. ♪

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love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. we got this, right? dry cleaning done. gift for your aunt... done. today, we're gonna be talking about your body after baby. yep. we're done. okay. let's get some lunch. yes! [ laughs ] all right! yes, honey. all natural -- everything. done. oh! i forgot the check. [ camera clicks ] done. [ female announcer ] on your phone, online, on the go. wells fargo makes it easy to get banking done.

welcome back to "early start" everyone. high drama in the jodi arias trial. in a few hours the defense will deliver their closing argument. this is the last chance for the defense to convince the jury that arias killed her boyfriend travis alexander in self-defense. prosecutors took their turn yesterday and they pulled no punches. cnn's ted rowlands reports. >> absolutely without a shadow of a doubt she's a liar. >> reporter: jodi arias broke down listening to prosecutor juan martinez methodically lay out his closing argument that she is a cold-blooded killer who

premeditated the murder of her ex-boyfriend, travis alexander. >> she knew, she absolutely knew, and had already planned it. she knew she was going to kill him. >> reporter: martinez told jurors that in 2008, arias drove from northern california to alexander's home in mesa, arizona, armed with a knife and a stolen gun she took from her grandparents. she used cans of gasoline to refuel her car, and turned off her cell phone to avoid leaving a trail. >> she knew that she was coming to kill him. >> reporter: family members openly wept as martinez, using graphic photos from the crime scene, detailed how he says arias brutally stabbed alexander almost 30 times, and shot him in the head. at one point, martinez noticed that arias was also crying. >> she may cry now. but the jury instructions have told you that sympathy is not to be considered in this particular case.

>> reporter: arias, who originally told police she wasn't there, testified that she killed alexander in self-defense. martinez told jurors not to believe a word she said on the witness stand. >> she's acting the part. and she's lying. she's making it all up. she has lied to everybody. >> reporter: the defense will get its chance for closing when court resumes in the morning. then after 17 weeks of testimony, including 18 days of jodi arias on the stand, the jury in this televised murder trial, will finally start to deliberate her fate. ted rowlands, cnn, phoenix. >> 16 minutes past the hour. let's get you up to date. big developments in the boston marathon terror investigation. a law enforcement source telling cnn that the fourth of july was the original target date for the attack. dzhokhar tsarnaev telling investigators the date was moved up because the bombs were ready faster than they expected. we've also learned this morning the bombs were built by the brothers in tamerlan tsarnaev's

apartment. it is hot, it is dry, and it is windy. that is a dangerous combination in southern california where right now a massive wildfire is burning out of control. the springs fire in ventura county has destroyed 8,000 acres, damaged more than a dozen homes so far. 2,000 other homes are threatened. several communities and a cal state university campus were evacuated and overnight the flames reached all the way to the pacific coast highway. >> a lot of people are wearing masks in that area. so a california man accused of raping women that he met through the dating website christianmingle.com will soon find out if there's enough evidence for him to stand trial. once the preliminary hearing for sean patrick banks wraps up today a judge will make that decision. one of banks' accusers testified yesterday that he attacked her within ten minutes of visiting her home in november. a second woman has also come forward claiming she was raped by banks on a third date. that was back in 2009. going to be looking at jon bon jovi. that's right.

jon bon jovi joining new jersey governor chris christie for a very good cause. he signed the overdose protection act in to law. this encourages people to report drug overdoses without fear of being arrested. jon bon jovi's daughter reportedly overdosed on heroin last year. misdemeanor charges were later dropped because of a similar law in new york. and a monthly jobs report due out in about two hours from now, and next we're going to find out if it could be a real wild card.

look at that beautiful shot. new york city. i was asking what the weather's supposed to be like today. you looked it up? >> if you look at this picture it says gorgeous. my expert analysis of the weather is it's gorgeous. >> no rain? >> it's in the 60s today, no rain. it's perfect. >> can you just stay there for

awhile and just admire how gorgeous it is? but no we're going to mind your business this morning. wall street is waiting for only one thing today, it is the april jobs report. it's just over two hours away now. and stock futures holding steady in anticipation. it is a report on the economy, your job, and your money. >> the expectation is right around 140,000 jobs created. the expectation is the unemployment rate to stay unchanged at about 7.6%. but christine romans is here with what could be a wild card in this report. >> the interesting thing about this report. we're looking for 140,000. last month was a shocker. remember it was 88,000. that was a real disappointment. and it missed the mark by a lot. a half a million people dropped out of the workforce taking the labor participation rate down to the lowest level in three decades. i'm going to be very, very closely watching that because it's a sign that confidence isn't high, people don't look for work until they have some hope that they'll actually find a job. and they've been dropping out of the labor market. we also have this thing we've been calling the spring swoon.

we've seen it the past few years. the year starts out strong for jobs and sputters out into the summer. the worry signs are there. private sector hiring was disappointing last month. the government's forced spending cuts are kicking in. we won't see the furloughs but we could see visible signs of a slowdown by hiring agencies. if there is any backstop in the economy, it's the federal reserve. policymakers have pledged to prop up the economy for the foreseeable future. i mean pumping money into the economy and keeping interest rates low. it's sort of like training wheels on the bicycle and we have a long way to go before those training wheels come off. one of the things so closely tied to the fate of the economy is home sales. housing. there's a new report saying that house flipping, it -- is back. wasn't that an issue before the crash? >> yes, and it blew my mind when this report came out. flipping is back in some of these towns where people are, a lot of them are cash purchases, flipping houses. really tracker. i want to show you some of the places where they say where

flipping is back. orlando, florida, where the average profit is 63% from a flip. in real dollars it's about $65,000 return on an investment. las vegas, phoenix, tampa. >> the hard testish hit areas. >> these states topped the list of foreclosures during the housing crisis. there's a buying opportunities for investors who have cash and they're making a boatload of money in this. most of us don't buy a house with cash. the brand-new numbers on mortgage rates. 15 year at a record low 2.56%. berman is gleeful over there. and usually the refinancing tool. a 30-year pretty close to a record low, as well. did you do it? >> well -- >> you're in the process. >> it's going to be money in your pocket berman. you are going to be an economic driver. you'll be able to go out there, use your extra $25 a month, and spend it somewhere. >> there's a first time for everything, i suppose. >> $25 a month. what's the one thing we need to know about our money? >> there are 3.9 million jobs

available. that's according to the labor department. if you factor how many people are unemployed it works out to about three people for every job opening. three people for every job opening. that's a lot better than it was when they were nearly seven at the height of the crisis. three for every job opening. as you're looking at these job numbers today, folks remember you've got to beat out two other people. you've got to have a better reseoul. you've got to make sure you're filling the gaps on your resume, great volunteer work, great organization, highlighting the tinge that's creating value at a company that you're working for because you've got two other people to beat out for the job and i know you can do it. >> i love that. >> pep talk this morning. >> thanks so much. up next, stepping up security in the wake of the boston bombing. how officials at the kentucky derby plan to protect over 100,000 people at saturday's run for the roses. >> and if you are heading out watch us any time on your desk top, mobile phone, go to cnn.com/tv.

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weapons of mass destruction built in a seedy third floor apartment. we have new details on the boston bombing, plus including the suspects' original high-profile target. a raging inferno racing for the coast. blistering flames jump the pacific coast highway forcing thousands of people out of their homes. and reese witherspoon

unscripted. video of her infamous run-in with a traffic cop. the actress in a performance she probably wishes you would never see. >> unscripted and some may say unhinged. >> yes, indeed unhinged. welcome back to "early start." glad you're with us. i'm zoraida sambolin. >> i'm john berman. we want to start with major developments right now this morning from the boston marathon terror investigation. cnn has learned that the bombs allegedly detonated by the tsarnaev brothers were built in tamerlan tsarnaev's apartment. and the boston marathon was not their original target. the brothers allegedly planning a fourth of july attack. dzhokhar tsarnaev telling investigators the date was moved earlier because the bombs were ready faster than expected. also this, tamerlan tsarnaev's body finally claimed by his family. we could find out as early as this morning the actual cause of his death. his parents are demanding an independent autopsy. and then there's tamerlan tsarnaev's widow katherine russell staying with her parents in rhode island. did she know about the attack

ahead of time? a source tells cnn that investigators still do not have an answer to that question. obviously a key question. >> indeed. 30 minutes past the hour. happening right now. thousands of homes in harm's way as a massive wildfire burns out of control. this is southern california. about 50 miles from los angeles. it's already blackened 8,000 acres. and fire crews are facing a triple whammy now. high temperatures, dry conditions, and very strong winds. cnn's stephanie elam live in ventura county, california, and stephanie you know, earlier when you were showing us what was right behind you, i was a little nervous for you. >> we made sure we were in a safe place, zoraida. thank you for worrying about us. yes, it was definitely colorful a couple of hours ago. entire hillside behind me was just engulfed in flames and that's exactly what firefighters were fine with because all it had to do is race down the mountain and jump over the highway and then go into the ocean. the ocean is right here to my left. because of that, there was no concern of it going any further. but, still on the other side of

these hills you can still see the smoke and fire that is burning so intensely that they've had to evacuate some people. but keep in mind that this is just one fire. there's also another fire burning that's about 140 miles from here. it's called the summit fire. we drove out there yesterday to take a look. turns out they've got a pretty good handle on it. it's now about 55% contained. and that's a really good number. but things to keep in mind here are just the winds, which could kick up and change the direction of these flames. and that's what firefighters will be watching. this is really the calm time of the day. if only it stayed like this, they would be a lot easier to tackle. as the day wears on and it's very dry and it's been very hot, i think it was in the 90s around this area, a little bit inland yesterday. with those conditions there, that means the fire can really, really spread, zoraida and john. >> stephanie, what had been some of the challenges in fighting the fires specifically in southern california? >> well, for one thing, yesterday it was the wind, we were getting whipped around out there at the summit fire.

and that really did change the ball game for that fire, because it was changing, heading one direction, changed course, and as one of the fire chiefs told me, it was like a freight train that went right at this one house. the only house that was taken out in that area yesterday. so the wind is one issue, that also means they may not be able to drop water from the sky. and then the terrain, it's rough, it's rugged, and it's also very rocky and then the temperatures, the heat that these firefighters are battling to get into these areas with their shovels and their picks and make way so that the fire will burn where they want it to, and not burn in areas where there are homes that are threatened. and there's several people not far from here who are very worried about their homes. >> i know we were watching earlier, they were saying they were waiting to see what happens. you're really concerned about them and the firefighters in the area. stephanie elam, thank you so much for joining us this morning. appreciate it. >> the big question now, of course, is what will today bring? will the weather help? will the weather hurt the firefighting efforts? let's go to jennifer delgado to get the forecast. what are they looking at? >> good morning, guys.

actually the weather is not going to help in about the next couple hours. by 5:00 a.m. we're going to start to see the winds gusting up to about 30 miles per hour. looks like we'll start to see this as we go into the late morning as well as into the early afternoon. expect some wind gusts in some of those mountains up to 45 miles per hour. the red flag warnings expire at 5:00 in the evening. that is local time. now from fires we go to snow as well as flooding. heavy rainfall coming down through parts of the midwest. there is the snow that we've been following. it's from fayetteville, arkansas, up towards parts of the upper peninsula. expecting 1 to 3 inches and we do have winter weather advisories in place until 1:00 local time. but down in florida, they have been getting hammered with the heavy rainfall. video coming out of fort lauderdale shows you a very rough commute. this is yesterday. people driving through flash flooding. a very dangerous situation, and the problem is, more of that rain is on the way when some of those locations yesterday picked up four inches. as i take you over to our graphic, want to show you where

the heaviest rainfall is going to be up towards the northeastern part of florida, including jacksonville, as well as daytona beach. we're talking potentially 10 to 13 inches of rainfall for the next 48 hours. then the midwest, this is a whole different other system, this is going to bring 3 to 4 inches of rainfall right on top of st. louis, missouri. of course the mississippi river where some parts are still at moderate to major flooding. and also want to point out to you, louisville, kentucky, kentucky derby this weekend, yeah, rain coming on saturday. >> no way! >> mudders. >> way. >> it is bad for your rain boots with the cute little dresses. thank you. >> and your hat. >> hats are going to get wet. jennifer delgado, thank you so much. the sister of a u.s. citizen who's been sentenced to 15 years in a north korean labor camp says she doesn't want her brother to be used as a political pawn. north korea state news agency says kenneth bae is guilty of hostile acts against north korea. they're not saying what those acts are.

here's what his sister teri chung told anderson cooper. >> we just pray and ask for leaders of both nations to please just see him as one man, caught in between, and just ask that he be allowed to come home. >> chung says her brother owns a travel agency and was in north korea on business. she claims he visited north korea five times without incident last year before being arrested this time. for the first time ever a woman appears on the fbi's most wanted terrorist list. 65-year-old joann chesimard now known as assata shakur was convicted of murdering a new jersey state trooper in 1973. she escaped from prison in 1979 and has been living under political asylum in cuba since 1984. the fbi says chesimard received vip treatment and regularly attending government functions in cuba. later this morning on "starting point," a live update from cnn's patrick oppmann in havana. a mix of old and new with

this year's kentucky derby. of course there will be horses, big hats and mint juleps. but in the wake of the boston terror attacks this year's derby will also have much tighter security. our pamela brown who knows a thing or two about the kentucky derby is in louisville this morning. good morning, pamela. >> good morning, john. that's right i am a kentucky native. i tell you, this year has a very different feel from years past in the wake of what happened in boston. officials have only had a few weeks to put new security measures into place here. and they're scrambling to get the word out to people. it's made the headline here in louisville's main newspaper which is the courier journal. officials want to make sure that the only headline that comes out of this year's derby is who won and who lost. it's one of horse racing's biggest events. the first of the triple crown races. a place to see and be seen. gut this year's kentucky derby is happening just weeks after

the boston bombing. security at churchill downs now understandably tightened. >> the marathon bombing occurred and we were on the phone immediately with our law enforcement partners and had meetings the next day. we had to move really quickly if changes were warranted we had to get the word out pretty quickly. >> reporter: changes were made. in addition to the ban on backpacks in place since 9/11 the new security restrictions include no camp carders, cans or coolers of any size. and women with purses larger than 12 inches will have to leave them at home for the big races. and the estimated 160,000 people going through the gates can expect to have more thorough bag inspections, and magnetic wand searches. >> we hope not a single person that gets to the gate is surprised and trying to bring in something not allowed. >> 1200 federal, state and local officers were also be out in force, an increase of about 100 since the bombing. >> basically just areas of

command. >> reporter: but major kelly jones says they're relying on alert spectators to report anything suspicious. >> we get used to things sometimes, and so what we've learned is, folks have got to be vigilant. we've got to be vigilant. people have to be the eyes and ears of this community. >> reporter: that message seems to be getting through. >> i know if i see something i'm going to say something. probably more so now than ever before. >> reporter: for others it's still all about the derby. >> this is an event that everybody wants to experience, that they look forward to every year, and just to come out and have a good time, the mint juleps. i don't think it's going to be a concern at all. >> and those new security measures will be put into place today with the big race the oaks, which is something that happens the day before the derby. so this is sort of a trial run before the big race tomorrow. officials tell us, though, because it's controlled access, because you have to go through gates to get in here, that there is a level of comfort there, more security, and it's easier,

obviously, for that reason. john? >> pamela, as we said, you are a kentucky native like i said you've probably been there many times before. what's the sense from the fans? how are they reacting to the new restrictions? >> for the most part, john, fans are, you know, understanding that they're taking this in stride. they understand that this is all for their safety but i will tell you what sparked a lot of discussion is the limited purse size. as you heard in the story, purses can only be 12 inches. so, we're hearing that department stores are actually have rulers on the counter to measure purses before people buy them to bring here. and i have to tell you, people i'm telling you, people plan out their outfits their purses months before the derby. so, i'm sure a lot of women are going to have to change their game plans. >> i imagine the purse has got to match the hat, and the hat is a big deal. am i right about that? >> absolutely. you have to coordinate. >> i didn't know about that. but thank you for clearing that up for us. >> obviously you did. john berman. >> pamela brown, thank you so

much. appreciate it. >> coming up on "early start" she may be legally blond, but apparently she doesn't know the law. wait till you hear the earful reese witherspoon gave the officer who arrested her. it is newly released police dash cam video. cam video. >> yeah. customer thought? describe the first time you met. you brought the flex in... as soon as i met fiona and i was describing the problem we were having with our rear brakes, she immediately triaged the situation, knew exactly what was wrong with it, the car was diagnosed properly, it was fixed correctly i have confidence knowing that if i take to ford it's going to be done correctly with the right parts and the right people. get a free brake inspection and brake pads installed for just 49.95 after rebates when you use the ford service credit card. did you tell him to say all of that? no, he's right though...

welcome back. christine romans is joining us with a look at what is ahead on "starting point." >> ahead on the show this morning, the boston bombing suspects had another day in mind. another day in mind to unleash terror. a national holiday. what we're learning now about the tsarnaev brothers' alleged plot and why they moved up the date of their attack.

we're live in boston. right now firefighters desperately trying to contain wildfires burning out of control in southern california. today's winds could make things worse. we are live in ventura county top of the hour talking with a woman whose home is in the line of danger. then, the april jobs report. less than two hours away, could be bleak. we're going to break down what the new numbers mean for you and the economy with grover norquist, president of the americans for tax reform and ken baer former associate director of office of management and budget. i'll show you where there is jobs growth. plus jets coach rex ryan showing how he lost 100 pounds and kept it off. we're also going to talk all things ganggreen including the release of tim tebow. he lost 200 some pounds last week. >> a lot to talk about with rex ryan. >> can't wait. >> so a lot to talk about here, too. her a-list arrest last month made reese witherspoon seem more like a diva than one of hollywo hollywood's sweethearts.

>> now new video of her arrest in all its dash cam glory. holly wood golden girl reese witherspoon is accustomed to the spot light. but since her disorderly conduct arrest last month she dodged public appearances. >> all i can say is i just panicked. >> reporter: that is until her very public apologies on good morning america thursday. >> it's one of those nights. we went out to dinner in atlanta. we had one too many glasses of wine. we thought we were fine to drive and we absolutely were not. and it's just completely unacceptable and we are so worry. and embarrassed. and we know better. >> witherspoon's contrite appearance came just hours before police dash board video, showing her contentious arrest, was posted by the website tmz. >> i'm a u.s. citizen i'm allowed to stand on american ground and ask any question i want to ask. >> go ahead. >> you better not arrest me. are you kidding me? >> nope. i told you- >> i'm an american citizen.

>> i told you to get in that car and stay in there, didn't i? >> witherspoon's husband was shown being arrested for driving under the influence, tries to quiet her without success. >> reese, can you please be quiet. >> i have to obey your orders? >> yes, you do. >> seemingly unable to deter the officer from taking her into custody, witherspoon takes a different line of approach. >> i'm now being arrested and handcuffed? >> yep. >> do you know my name, sir? >> don't need to know it. >> you don't need to know my name? >> not quite yet. >> oh, really, okay? you're about to find out who i am. >> that's fine i'm not real worried about you, ma'am. >> perhaps that's what witherspoon meant by embarrassing. her explanation? >> i have no idea what i was saying that night. when i saw him arresting my husband and i literally panicked. and i said all kinds of crazy things. >> adding -- >> it was so disrespectful to him. and i have police officers in my family. i work with police officers every day. i know better. and it's just unacceptable. >> when asked about what she learned from the incident,

witherspoon wrapped up her damage control interview with a touch of humor. >> when a police officer tells you to stay in the car, you stay in the car. i learned that for sure. >> we were just mentioning the timing of this was very interesting, right? >> her interview where she was apologizing was before everyone saw the dash cam video. i'm not sure -- the dash cam video in some ways, may be worse than people thought. >> oh, absolutely. i'm sure she's incredibly embarrassed because she never expected this to be all over the place, right? she also said in that interview that she told the police officer that she was pregnant. i don't know what was coming out of my mouth. i even told him that i was pregnant and she cleared up that, indeed, she is not. >> one movie, one film here she is no doubt not proud of. >> yeah. >> some people actually gave her a lot of credit for coming forth, apologizing, calling the police department, apologizing. >> what are you going to do? >> what are you going to do? >> damage control. >> one woman stands alone with a chance to make sports history at this weekend's kentucky derby. more on her and her triple crown

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welcome back. 52 minutes past the hour. this weekend is the 139th running of the kentucky derby and for one rider it is a chance to make history. andy scholes joins us with more in the "bleacher report." >> good morning, guys. it's been 43 years since the first female jockey rode in the kentucky derby and this weekend 25-year-old rosie naprovnik will try to become the first to win it. she is already the most accomplished female rider in the sport's history. two years ago she finished

ninth. last year she became the first female rider to win the kentucky oaks race, which is the second biggest race of the weekend. now her dream is to win the triple crown, and saturday could be the beginning of that dream as she rides mylute in the derby. >> the one that beat up the wife, man, his wife in front of his kids. you guys like that? [ bleep ] like this guy woman beater? he must have learned that from his dad. woman beater, baby, we're going to beat that woman beater. >> oh, man. well saturday's floyd mayweather robert guerrero needed any more hype, he called may weather out for his domestic abuse. the fight will be the first fr mayweather since serving two months in a jail last summer. the undefeated mayweather is an overwhelming favorite to beat guerrero. the golfers coming out of china just keep getting younger and younger.

last month the youngest player at the masters was age 14. now 12-year-old ye wocheng is taking his shot. he's holding his own. check out this shot right here. chips in from 40 feet out. now ye probably won't win the event like guan. but again he'll have plenty more chances because he's only 12 years old. as the saying goes, april showers bring may flowers. well that's not the case in the midwest. snow in kansas city forcing the royals to postpone their game with the rays last night. but it did give the players a great chance to work on their tarp sliding skills out in the snow. bit looks like a lot of fun out there. in warmer weather down in houston. thes arose hosting the tigers. check out this great pitch. one arm holding this baby, the other one with the hat reaches over. one hand. guys don't want to think about what would have happened if he

had fallen over. >> no kidding. >> at least in houston they're in last place. you've got a lot of room to move around out there. nba playoffs last night, the bulls falling to the nets. that series heading to seven games, zoraida i'm sure you're pretty down on your bulls this morning. >> i'm really depressed about this. can we talk about kudos to nate robinson for playing the way that he did with the flu? >> yeah. he definitely did. he hung in there and tried to stick it out. but, this one's going seven. there's four game sixes tonight in the nba including john your celtics taking on the knicks trying to hang in that series see if they can push it to seven tonight in boston sending back to new york. >> we're feeling good about that, andy. >> really? >> sure. >> okay. >> andy scholes, appreciate it. >> 55 minutes past the hour. new hampshire man caught red-handed stealing items from a thrift store says the name of the shop led him to believe the items were there for the taking. he didn't want to go on camera

while admitting he took a grill, dvd player and other items from the finders keepers thrift shop. he says he thought the items were free because of the sign. and the fact that they were left on the store's porch. >> the sign did say finders keepers. so i took that dvd player, took it home and a couple weeks later the stuff is still there on the porch so i'm thinking to myself, you know, it's probably finders keepers, they probably just put stuff out there for people to take. >> seriously, pavon returned the items after he saw the story on the news. so far, no charges have been filed there. >> "starting point" is up next. we'll be right back. flying is old hat for business travelers.

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have enzymes in them. the whole formulation just works very well. it leaves the mouth feeling fresh. if i'm happy with the results and my patients are happy with the results, i don't need to look any farther. we don't let frequent heartburn come between us and what we love. so if you're one of them people who gets heartburn and then treats day after day... block the acid with prilosec otc and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. that is it for "early start." i'm zoraida sambolin. have a great weekend. "starting point" starts right now.

good morning, everyone. i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. our "starting point" this morning. disturbing new developments in the boston bombing investigation. cnn learning it was another holiday the suspects planned to target. we're live in boston. then wildfires burning across southern california. hundreds forced from their homes, 8,000 acres burned, and it may only get worse. we will have a live report. plus this is one unexpected and unwelcome passenger. how did a bear get inside this man's truck? locked the doors. friday, may 3rd, "starting point" begins right now. we begin with major new developments this morning in the boston marathon terror investigation. cnn has learned that the bombs allegedly detonated by the tsarnaev brothers were built in tamerlan tsarnaev's apartment. also, the boston marathon allegedly not their original target. they had a bigger one in mind.

also tamerlan tsarnaev's body finally claimed by his family. his parents are demanding an independent autopsy, and there is controversy about where the body should be buried so let's go straight away right now to cnn's jason carroll who is live in cambridge, massachusetts, with the latest. good morning, jason. >> good morning to you, john. we are live outside of tsarnaev's apartment. and what we're learning, as you are learning, is not only disturbing, it's also insightful. the original plan was not to detonate these bombs on patriots day. the original plan was to detonate the bombs on independence day. a u.s. law enforcement official tells cnn the tsarnaev brothers initially considered a suicide attack during the fourth of july celebration, when boston's charles river esplanade is typically packed with spectators for an open-air concert and fireworks. all of this according to dzhokhar tsarnaev who told investigators they moved up the